The Frugal Virtues of Kitchen Improv

When you’re faced with a refrigerator full of vegetable odds and ends and random bits of meat or cheese, it’s time to improvise some meals rather than let your stores go to waste. Combined with pantry staples like grains, beans, or pasta, almost any perishables can be transformed into a satisfying soup, salad, taco filling, or egg dish, Chowhounds attest.